ARC Review: Call of the Jersey Devil by Aurelio Voltaire

Five suburban mall rats and a washed up Goth singer find themselves stranded in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey where they discover two horrifying truths: The Jersey Devil, hellspawn of folklore and legend, is real; and New Jersey (as many already suspected) is the gateway to Hell!
With the help of one lone witch, this small group must face off against their deepest fears and the most unholy monsters in a battle where their very souls, the world they live in, and any chance of returning to Hot Topic in one piece is at stake!
The first novel by musician and horror media personality, Aurelio Voltaire, Call of the Jersey Devil is a hilarious and terrifying homage to 80s horror and genre films. Like a mad doctor, Voltaire has Frankensteined together elements of Evil Dead, The Breakfast Club, Poltergeist, and This is Spinal Tap to create a creature feature that will have you laughing out loud when you're not glancing nervously over your shoulder.

Title: Call of the Jersey Devil

Author: Aurelio Voltaire

Publisher: Spence City

Expected Publication Date: May 28, 2013

The Cover Contessa's Review:

I want to thank Spence City/Spencer Hill Press for providing me with an ARC of this book. I was very excited to be chosen to read this early. Receiving this book for free has in no way influenced my opinion or review.

When I first read the blurb for this book, I got super excited. You see, I live in NJ, so reading about the Jersey Devil was something I wanted to experience. It's been a myth I have been wondering about since I moved here in 2000. There was no doubt in my mind I wanted to see where a story about it would go. And I was not disappointed in the least!

I love the art for the cover of this book. It really depicts a beast I would truly be terrified to come face to face with. And it makes me think of all those urban legends I heard about growing up and what reality they all might be based in! Oh, and if you live in NJ or are familiar with the state at all, you will totally understand why the words "Jersey Devil" are framed in what looks like a green highway sign! If not, do a little research and you'll get it!

This book reads like a film. Not surprising since Voltaire originally had this planned out as a screen play! This wasn't actually something I knew when I agreed to read the book. I learned this only after having interviewed Voltaire. And if you read this book and are familiar with 80s horror flicks, then you will totally get what I mean: Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween all fit the mold. So take one of those movies and expand on it to make a novel and you have what Voltaire has so expertly created!

I wasn't expecting the humor in this book, for sure. I am not usually one to read horror. It gives me bad dreams. But the grotesque pictures Voltaire paints are well set off by the humor he uses from his characters. I have to say there wasn't a chapter through which I read that I didn't find myself laughing at some point or another. His humor is sarcastic and sometimes a bit over the top but it fits so well with the story line you just can't help but love it.

One thing that really impressed me was that this book is written in third person. I haven't read many novels written from this perspective and I know how hard it can be to get the personalities of the characters across without actually coming from their point of view. Voltaire does a great job. You see the goth sarcasm from AJ and Prudence, the nuttiness that is Alistaire, the geekiness that is Stuey, the shyness of Ari, the badassness of Caroline, and the dried up has-been that is Villy. I love how all the characters interact. And they are not afraid to speak their minds, which makes me happy because I hate characters that hold back. Throughout the book the characters really did speak to me, and it was so easy to connect with them. And there wasn't one of them that did not make me laugh, which I loved.

Voltaire is also not afraid to use some vulgar language. Most young adult books steer clear of this. But it's totally appropriate for this book. It really helps bring across the harshness of the situation the characters are struggling to resolve. And it helped me to form a picture of just how horrifying their experience was. A few examples of this language being used in such an appropriate way is this: "You're an asshole, Jersey Devil!" coming from a character having fought this horrible being. It was perfect and really made me laugh out loud.

I think my favorite character in this book was definitely Villy Bats. He starts out as a total jerk who is quite full of himself, despite being a has been. He gets easily annoyed with the other characters and expects a lot more from them than he should. He starts out as a total ass and I just wanted to belt him in the head. But he slowly realizes he really needs to rely on these people to help him get through a tough situation and it's great to watch him develo, become a better person and even begin to form friendships and care about others. I also had fun picturing him in my mind because I could totally see Voltaire playing this part. Since I know he originally pictured himself doing so, it just made it even more concrete in my mind. AND having just interviewed him for my blog, I know his sarcasm and snarkiness, he would be a perfect Villy Bats!

If you have never been to the Pine Barrens of NJ, have no fear, Volatire describes it perfectly. It's very easy to picture what I know as the dense forests and grassy swamps, the soft sands and the eeriness of being out in the middle of nowhere. Ok, so I haven't been there at night, but having heard numerous times about the Jersey Devil, I'm pretty sure I never want to be! I also love how Volatire describes Villy's reaction the leaving New York City and entering NJ. I can so relate to him calling NJ the "gateway to hell." Having grown up in Brooklyn, NY, I vowed never to live in NJ because it was "smelly". And this is the picture that most people who travel through the state get, because their experience is of driving by the many refineries that line our turnpike belching filth and smoke into the sky. But NJ is actually quite beautiful when you move west of this highway, something someone who lives in NYC usually doesn't get to experience. It was totally relatable to me and I loved every minute of it!
I did find the first few chapters to be a bit more slow than I would have liked. I understood the need for world building and to show the different characters, but I was looking for action! The second half of this book, however, more than made up for it because once you hit 50% it is non-stop! So, if you're looking for a horror read that is funny and really leaves you wanting to continue to turn the pages to find out what happens to the characters, this is the book for you. It's a mix of Stephen King, Koontz and your favorite comic all rolled into one! A wonderful debut novel for this author! I'm looking forward to reading more from him in the future for sure!

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